Learning Disabilities – Learning Disabilities Association of America (2024)

FAQs

What does the ADA say about learning disabilities? ›

Learning disabilities generally qualify as disabilities under the ADA. The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects employees and job applicants with disabilities from discrimination. The law also requires employers to make reasonable accommodations to allow people with disabilities to do their jobs.

The Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to identifying causes and promoting prevention of learning disabilities and to enhancing the quality of life for all individuals with learning disabilities and their families.

Reading disability (dyslexia) - is the most common LD, representing at least 80% of all LDs, and results from deficits in phonologic processing.

Yes. The ADA and 504 include a broad list of disabling conditions, and learning disability may be one of them provided that the rest of the legal definition is satisfied.

Other Examples of Non-covered Conditions

Broken limbs, sprains, concussions, appendicitis, common colds, or influenza generally would not be disabilities. A broken leg that heals normally within a few months, for example, would not be a disability under the ADA.

ADHD is not classified as a learning disorder because it doesn't impact specific academic skills. According to the DSM-5, a learning disability impacts specific academic skills, such as reading, writing, learning a new language, or math.

The top five most common learning disabilities are dyslexia, ADHD, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and dyspraxia. Each of these conditions can present with a range of symptoms and can be diagnosed through a combination of medical and educational assessments.

While anxiety can certainly make things like focusing and paying attention more difficult, anxiety is not a cause of learning difficulties, but rather one of many symptoms.

The most common type of disability for students in prekindergarten through 12th grade involves “specific learning disabilities,” such as dyslexia.

In addition to academic challenges, students with learning differences often face social obstacles. The differences in how their brain processes information may mean that their social skills lag behind their peers', impacting their cognitive processing, language retrieval, executive functioning, and mental health.

Is learning disability autism? ›

Autism is not a learning disability, but around half of autistic people may also have a learning disability.

Learning Disabilities and Social Security Law

A child who has been diagnosed with a learning disability will be eligible for benefits if he or she suffers from certain "marked" (severe) or "extreme" functional limitations that are expected to last at least a year.

If a learning disability is not recognized early enough, a child might exhibit ADHD-like symptoms — fidgeting, doodling, looking around the room — that can mistakenly lead parents and teachers to conclude that he has ADHD.

Children with intellectual disorders or low IQs can qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits if their intellectual functioning is so limited that it severely affects their life.

The regulations also cover any mental or psychological disorder, such as intellectual disability, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness and specific learning disabilities.

K-12 and Higher Education Emphasis. Title II of the ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities by all “public entities,” a group that includes local school districts and state education institutions.

One aim of the ADA was to make educational institutions more accessible for the disabled. This aim covers “reasonable accommodations” such as the following: Modification of application and testing. Allowing students to tape-record or videotape lectures and classes.

Once you are hired, your employer is allowed to ask if you have a disability. However, this does not allow them free reign over your medical information. Rather, they may ask this question in the context of providing you with reasonable accommodations to perform your job.